Crews contain fire at vacant Crosby Elementary School in northeast El Paso

EL PASO, Texas - A classroom went up in flames at the vacant Crosby Elementary School Sunday afternoon.

A fire official told an ABC-7 photographer on scene that the fire was spreading as of 5 p.m.

Thick black smoke could be seen coming out of the building.

School was not in session as the fire broke out, but there was no word if there was anyone inside.

There have been no reports of injuries at this time.

Gustavo Reveles, Spokesman for EPISD, said that the school has been vacant since June of 2021. 

It since has been used by the Gene Roddenberry Planetarium.

But, he said it did not did not seem to have impacted it at all. 

Reveles said this is one of the properties that episd is considering being surplused and sold by the school district 

Thankfully, he said the kids that used to go there are now in a brand new school, and will not affect teaching. 

“But obviously it is still a concern because this is still our property and we want to make sure it's well taken care of,” said Reveles. 

Reveles said EPISD will check with the fire department to see what condition the building is left in to decide what they will do with it next. 

Rick Carson Deputy Chief El Paso Fire Department tells ABC-7 that the call came in at 4:27 p.m.

Firefighters arrived at the scene in only 3 minutes after being dispatched. 

“Just good fire fighting, the guys got in there, they found the fire, knocked it down and now what were doing is checking to make sure there is no fire spread, were cutting holes in the roof to make sure it hasn’t spread above us and that its not going to affect the building,” said Rick Carson, Deputy Chief El Paso Fire Department.